Vines previously commanded the 82nd Airborne Division during the U.S. deployment to Afghanistan. He was responsible for tactical combat missions. Subsequently, Vines replaced Lt. Gen. Dan K. McNeill as the commanding general of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan.

After retirement, Vines spent a few months on the board of USFalcon, an information technology and systems engineering firm specializing in defense. He had consulted for the Department of Defense, but does not now have any industry ties. "One of the reasons I chose not to do that is that I felt like I would be taking advantage of a revolving door," he said. "There is a lot of hypocrisy there."